Benjamin heywood



(No Model.)

B. HEYWOOD.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

PATENT met.

BENJAMIN IIEYWOOD, OF NEI/V YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

'SPECIFICATION' forming part o Letters Patent No. 392,863, dated November 13, 188g.

` Application tiled July 24, 1888. Serial No. 280.871. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HEYwooD, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of electric'railways in which the car is driven by an electric mot-or carried thereon and receiving electricity through a conductor in or contiguous to the track.

The improvement will be hereinafter described with refegence to the drawings, and its novelty will bepointed out in claims.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a railway track and car illustrating my inventiom Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view corresponding with Fig. 1. .'Fig. 2:1 is a transverse sectional view of a *track illustrating a modication of my invention.' Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of a railwayrail which contains the permanent electric conductor, and of the traveling conductor attached to the car for the purpose of conducting electricity from the said permanent conductor to the motor on the car. Figs. 4 and 5 represent transverse' sections of the rail and permanent conductor in the lines x .fc and y y, respectively, of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the rail and permanent conductor, and of the traveling conductor attached to the car in the line z c, Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a rail laid upon the surface of the lground and provided with an internal cavity, c, within which is contained a permanentconductor, B, connected with astationary dynamo at a convenient point on the line of railway, the said conductor being insulated from the interior of the cavity by an insulation, b, of any suitable material. The said cavity is represented as open on one side of the rail, at a', for the introduction of the conductor B and its insulation b,and in the outer side of the insulation opening or openings c (see FigsA. and 5) are provided, for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

C designates a flexible waterproof cover made of india-rubber or other suitable mate rial, preferably of such character as to constitute an insulation, extending along the whole length of the rail for the purpose of closing the opening a', and also closing the opening c in the insulation b. The edges of this strip or cover may be secured in any convenient manner to the rail and to the insulation b, for the purpose of excluding water from the opening c and from the conductor. The said strip has firmly secured toits interior, at short distances apart, metallic contact-pieces d, (see Figs. 4 and 6,) which are within the opening c in the insulation b. Opposite to each of these inner contact-pieces, d, there is attached to the exterior of the flexible strip or cover C an outer contact-piece,e,(seeFigs. 3,4,and 6,) consisting of a metal plate countersunk Within the outer face of the strip or iiexible cover C. The inner and outer contact-pieces, d e, which may be of corresponding length and width, are represented as secured together and to the iiexible cover by means of pins or rivets f, which make a metallic connection between them. The exible cover C in its normal condition retains the metallic contact-pieces d a short distance out of contact with the conductor B, as shown in Fig. 4; but its flexibility is such that by pressure upon its exterior the said contactpieces= may be forced-into contact with the conductor, as shown in Fig. 6.

Between the contact-pieces d and inside of the flexible cover O there are represented in the cavity a of the rail metal studs g (see Figs. 3 and 4) for supporting the upper part of the rail.

D designates the floor-frame of a car; E E, the driving-axle; F F, the driving-wheels on said axle, and G an electric motor on the platform of the car. In Figs. 1 and 2 one of the track-rails upon which the car runs is a rail like A, containing an insulated conductor, B, such as has been hereinbefore described. The electric motor G may be of any known or suit# able kind, and power may be transmitted from it to the driving-axle E by a belt, H, and pulleys I J, as shown in Fig. 1, or in any suitable manner.

The electric current from the permanent conductor B is intended to be taken to the dynamo through one or more of what may be termed brushes,7 K, which are suspended from the car, and which press against the dexr IOO ,2 l seance ble cover C in such manner as to press the contact-pieces el into contact with the conductor B, as shown in Fig. 6, the circuit between the said conductor and the-motor being then completed through the contact-piece (l, pinsf, plates c, and the said brush.

The brush K is represented as formed of a straight metal bar7 h, long enough to cover the length of two of the plates e and the inter Vening space, and a sheath, t', of soft vulcanized india-rubber or other elastic insulating` material surrounds all parts of the said bar, except the face, which is toward the elastic cover C of the cavity in the rail, but leaves that face exposed to work in contact with the faces of the plates e as the car moves along the track. Each brush K is suspended from the car close to the flexible cover C of the cavity of the rail in which the electric conductor is contained by means of a hanger, L. rlhis hanger should be so constructed or provided with springs that as the car passes over the rail the brush will press against the flexible cover C with sufficient force to press it inward toward the rail, and so press the contact-pieces against the conductor B. 1n Figs. 1, 2, and 3 each hanger is represented as consisting of two stout springs. rlhe bar his provided with the attached insulated electric 'condu.ctorj, which enters the bar, and which is connected by a wire, k, with one of the terminals of the motor.

rlhe car being on the track, the brush always has its metallic bar h in contact with one or more of the plates c o f the flexible cover C, and while it presses the flexible cover inward, as shown in Fig. 6, it brings one or more of the contact-plates l into contact with the conductor B, and the circuit is closed between the conductorBand the motor by means of the contact-plate d, pin f, plates c, the brush K, the conductorj, and the wire la. The other terminal of the motor may be grounded in any known or suitable manner. As the car carries its brush beyond the several plates c, the adjacent portions of the iieXible cover C throw the contact-pieces d into their normal position, (shown in Fig. 4,) out of contact with the conductor. It will thus be understood that the contact-pieces are only in contact with the conductor while the brush of the car is passing them. As the car passes along, the

face of the elastic sheath t' of the brush surdigging up the streets, which is requisite in what is known as the conduit7 system of electric railways, and the main line is kept dry and does not need any connection with the sewer, as in the conduit system. The advantage which the improvement possesses over the overhead system is that there are no lines to fall. Even if my rail be flooded or otherwise should be under water, the current will not be grounded, as the conductor is perfectly insulated and protected.

Trucks and wagons can run over the rail A without any damage. No man-holes are neeessary to get at the main line, as in the conduit system, and no poles, as in the overhead system, therefore less danger to public travel and human life.

What 1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe combination, in an electric railway, l

2. rIhe combination, with a railway,.a car running thereon, and an electric motor onsaid car, of a hollow rail, an electric conductor arranged within the cavity of said rail, a tieni# blc cover to one side of the said cavity, a series of metallic contact-pieces attached to said flexible cover, and which are normally out of contact with the conductor, and a brush or conductor attached to the car, forming part of the circuit by which a current passes to the motor and serving to press the said contactpieces against the conductor within the rail, and thereby close the circuit between the said conductor and the motor as the car passes over the track, all substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the hollow rail, the insulated conductor therein, the flexible water-tight cover, which serves to inclose the conductor Within the cavity of the rail, and the metallic contact-pieces attached to said cover, of the metallic brush carried by the car and the elastic insulating-sheath surrounding the face of the said brush and serving to wipe water from said cover and contact-pieces, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

BENJAMIN HEYWOOD.

lVitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, J oHN PILDrrcH. 

